Globe Life has already lived many lives, but now is its time to shine
Anthony Castrovince
@castrovinceThere has never been a ballpark like Globe Life Field.
Not because its 5.5-acre retractable roof is the largest single-panel operable ceiling in the world. Not because of the 223 panels of transparent ethylene tetrafluoroethylene that allow natural light to fill the facility. Not because its outfield dimensions are directly tied to noteworthy numbers from Texas baseball history (329 feet down the left field line for Adrian Beltre’s No. 29, 407 feet to center for Ivan Rodriguez’s No. 7, 326 to right for Johnny Oates’ No. 26, etc.).
No, what makes the Rangers’ home environ in Arlington unique is the history it has housed … for teams other than the Rangers.
When the World Series begins Friday night, it is the Rangers’ opportunity to lay claim to what is theirs. What’s at stake, with the home-field advantage the American League champion Rangers have earned over the National League champion D-backs, is not just an early edge in this best-of-seven but protection of personal property.
No architect, civic leader or team exec could have imagined Globe Life’s odd life.
Way back on May 20, 2016, when the world was an endlessly complicated and yet a somehow simpler place than it is today, the Rangers announced that they would leave what was then known as Globe Life Park and build what would become Globe Life Field. And that very slight difference in descriptors would not be the only contrast between the two constructions.
The old place -- originally known as the Ballpark in Arlington and now known as Choctaw Stadium -- opened in 1994 and had interesting, retro-classic features, including various architectural nods to Tiger Stadium, Ebbets Field, Comiskey Park, Fenway Park and the original Yankee Stadium. It was, in that way, a Frankenstein facility. And much like Frankenstein’s monster, it had a serious flaw: weather.
In Texas, the heat and the rain can be ruthless to the roofless, and Globe Life Park's open-air conditions caused issues with attendance and upkeep.
So after an election approval, plans -- including the retractable roof and climate control -- were drawn up by HKS, Inc., construction began on Sept. 28, 2017, and, eventually, a grand opening date for the $1.2 billion facility was scheduled for March 2020.
Little did anyone know that the mere phrase “March 2020” would soon make all of us shudder.
With the COVID-19 pandemic postponing the start of the 2020 MLB season and then making it impossible to stage said season in front of fans, Globe Life Field had easily the most awkward opening of any ballpark in big league history. It housed its first game on July 24, 2020 -- a 1-0 win by the Rangers over the Rockies in which the attendance is listed as “N/A.”
Things only got stranger from there. When MLB had to make the best of a bad situation and place October in a semi-bubble to limit travel, prevent outbreaks and avoid postseason postponements, it was decided to hold playoff games at neutral sites for the first time in history.
Globe Life Field -- “the new guy,” as it were -- was given two extremely high-profile assignments: the NLCS and the World Series. Not only that, but, with Texas law allowing up to 50% capacity at venues by that point, MLB decided to make approximately 11,500 tickets available for each game at Globe Life, marking the first time all year that fans could take themselves out to the ballgame (while sitting in “pods” of four contiguous seats separated from other pods by at least six feet).
Though it was obviously suboptimal to be staging World Series games involving the Dodgers and Rays, rather than the home team, the vernal venue and Rangers employees earned rave reviews in the industry for their handling of those highly extraordinary events.
Globe Life’s spacious concourses came in handy for social distancing, and an important test case of mobile-only ticketing went off without a hitch. There was even a certain solace in the Dodgers’ triumph in Texas, because at least Clayton Kershaw is a local product.
Still, it’s not as if the Rangers would hang a 2020 World Series banner in the building. And even when actual Rangers fans were able to begin attending actual Rangers home games in 2021, it was as if the building was rebelling against its unusual upbringing.
On April 9, 2021, a no-hitter was thrown at Globe Life … by Joe Musgrove of the visiting Padres. It was, at long last, the first no-hitter for a Friars franchise that had been established in 1969. Globe Life had once again been taken over by an out-of-towner.
On May 19, 2021, ANOTHER no-hitter was thrown at Globe Life… by Corey Kluber of the visiting Yankees. Is there anything worse than a Yankee triumphing on your turf in such a way?
Oh, yes, there is: Because on Oct. 4, 2022, Aaron Judge did something even more meaningful. He broke the AL’s single-season record by blasting his 62nd home run … into Section 31, Row 1, Seat 3 at Globe Life Field.
There are ballparks that have been open for decades that arguably haven’t had as many significant events unfold withing their walls as Globe Life Field did in its first three seasons of operation.
Unfortunately, the Rangers and their fans didn’t get to bask in any of it. As a matter of fact, the Rangers’ .448 home winning percentage from 2020-22 was the fourth-worst in MLB and their .432 mark from 2021-22 (in front of fans) was the second-worst.
That’s why this 2023 team, which had a .617 winning percentage at home (fourth-best in MLB) is so important. It is not only trying to deliver the first World Series championship in Rangers franchise history; it is trying to truly make Globe Life Field shine for the home nine. That these Rangers lost all three home games in the ALCS against the Astros only elevates the importance of Games 1 and 2 of this Fall Classic.
Do buildings have a soul? Many architects would argue in the affirmative, because of the way light and shadow and materials can give an edifice an individuality that affects the people in its presence.
Baseball domains -- by far the most individualized of sports stadia -- take this idea to an extreme. A ballpark is a landmark. A social scene, a meeting place, a gathering space. A construction where community convenes. A locale for first dates and birthdates, for fun outings and family bonding.
Its chief purpose, though, is as the true home for the club in question. A respite from the weary road, a provider of the creature comforts players crave and the heartwarming huzzahs that help them elevate their game.
Globe Life Field was assembled to be all these things for the Texas Rangers. Here’s their chance to take it back.